By Melanie Lekocevic, Lorna Littleway and Marlene McTigue
Capital Region Independent Media
For the second year in a row, Capital Region Independent Media put out the call for nominations for the top changemakers in southern Albany, Columbia and Greene counties, and our readers responded.
Nominations poured in, and with so many notable and worthy nominees, it was difficult selecting the top people and businesses who work tirelessly to make our communities a better place in which to live and work.
A panel of judges reviewed every nomination and picked the winners of this year’s Top 5 Changemakers’ awards in the four categories — Youth, Women, BIPOC and Business/Non-profit.
They will all be honored at a dinner and awards ceremony on Friday, April 26, from 6-9 p.m., at The Wire on South River Street in Coxsackie.
Here are profiles of each of the winners in alphabetical order:
YOUTH:
SHEA LANDVERSICHT
Shea is a senior at Greenville High School and has been named the valedictorian for 2024.
She has been president of the National Honor Society at the school since 2022.
According to her school guidance counselor, Shea has played a crucial role in fostering a culture of service and academic excellence. She is known for being an organizer of community service events and fundraisers.
Shea’s contributions extended beyond fundraising as she played a pivotal role in planning events such as the junior prom, the senior class trip, graduation, and other senior activities. By leading the members of the Class of 2024, Shea has left a lasting positive impact on the overall high school experience for her peers.
She is also president of her local Interact Club and is heavily involved in the Greenville FFA as treasurer and vice president.
Shea is also an accomplished athlete. She is a standout in volleyball and softball both in school and on travel teams. She has served as team captain and has received the Coach’s Award and was designated as a scholar-athlete in multiple sports throughout high school. She was also selected for the First Team in volleyball and softball.
Shea plans to attend SUNY Oneonta in the fall to study Adolescent Education.
LUCAS LONG
If you are an avid reader of the Ravena News-Herald, you may already know about Youth Changemaker Lucas Long.
Back in February, we told you the story of this exceptional young man who, together with his teammates on the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Ascendants Research Group, broke a record when their 16-foot tall, 70-pound rocket, Headstrong, reached a height of 46,000 feet. The flight is being lauded as the highest, for a student rocket team, of its kind.
The team’s next lofty goal is to try to for a space shot for 2025 — when they will look to break the Kármán Line, the point 330,000 feet above sea level that marks the end of Earth’s atmosphere and the beginning of outer space.
Lucas is laser focused on meeting his goals and is well on his way to success. The 21-year-old will graduate from RPI next year with a degree in Aerospace Engineering.
Lucas is also known in his hometown of Ravena for his desire to go above and beyond when it comes to helping neighbors, his peers and his family, according to Cheryl Coleman, who nominated him for this honor.
“Lucas is an honest, loyal, dedicated, humble and strong young man who has a vision and chases his dreams,” Coleman said.
EVAN SCHIEREN
Evan Schieren is in his final year of school at Ichabod Crane High School. If you ask anyone who knows him, they will likely say that Evan is known as an advocate for the community he loves.
An active supporter of local libraries, Evan has served on the Kinderhook Library’s Teen Advisory Board for six years.
Evan also serves as the president of the Crane Acting Troupe at his high school, where he has been an active participant for the last six years. He started out working in the sound booth in 2018 and has been an actor in every production the troupe has staged since.
Evan is recognized as not only an honors student, but the most experienced member of the school’s tennis team and a team member that novice players can look to for help improving their game.
“Being recognized as a Changemaker is an incredible honor,” said Evan. “I don’t often ask for praise for my deeds, but I am still very grateful to be deemed as a Changemaker!”
When asked how he thinks about being named a community changemaker Evan said, “I personally don’t expect to change in the way I approach my projects. I will simply continue trying to bring smiles to the faces of my peers and community. I am also graduating high school this year, so hopefully featuring this honor on any job or college applications could be beneficial to me and my future career.”
Evan will attend Union College in Schenectady in the fall where he is already looking for student-leader roles he can take on.
MICHAEL SORRELL
You might say that 18-year-old Michael Sorrell’s journey to Top 5ive Changemaker status was a bit atypical.
At the age of 16, Michael and his mother attended a job fair at Coeymans Town Hall. There he met Sam Kostue, plant manager of TCI of NY, a family owned company that recycles, disposes of and repairs transformers and other oil-filled electrical equipment out of the Coeymans Industrial Park.
Michael liked what he heard and lucky for him, TCI was just a short bike ride away from his home in Ravena. He filled out the application and was hired within the month.
“When I met Michael, I could see he was very eager to work and I got the sense he would be a hard worker,” said Kostue.
He was right.
“Michael showed up for his interview on his bike,” Kostue said. “From there, he got a motorized bike, then we saw him get his first car, a Ford Taurus, and he was just able to buy a Chevy Tahoe.”
Since starting, Michael has excelled in his duties at TCI, contributing to the ongoing success of the organization.
Kostue, who recognized Michael’s potential back at the job fair, nominated him for the Top 5 award by saying that “Michael is a great role model who leads by example at the plant, by always exhibiting a great work ethic. Michael is responsible, hard-working and a great team member.”
Michael said he hopes seeing how dedicated he is to his duties will inspire others to have a great work ethic, as well.
And in a twist of fate, the job fair that Michael attended was organized by another Top 5ive Changemaker, Rosemary Luppino McHugh.
COURTNEY TAIBI
To say that Courtney Taibi embraces the role of the servant leader, a concept that is espoused by the FFA, an organization that she loves and has helped to shape her into the changemaker she has become, seems a bit of an understatement.
Courtney speaks of a formative experience she had when in sixth grade, she traveled to Rochester to build bunk beds for children in need.
“It was a humbling experience,” said Courtney. “It allowed me to see that I can make a direct impact.”
And making an impact has been Courtney’s goal ever since.
According to her school guidance counselor, Courtney has significantly enriched the community through her exemplary leadership roles within the New York State FFA. As the New York State FFA Vice President for the 2023-24 term, she emerged as a passionate advocate for agriculture, representing community interests at local, state and federal committees, as well as with members of Congress.
Courtney’s dedication extended to educational outreach, where she wrote leadership workshops and keynote addresses to enlighten and inspire students, contributing to a more informed and engaged community. Additionally, her representation of New York in national FFA policy and decision-making processes showcased her commitment to elevating the community’s concerns on a broader scale.
Courtney is ranked fourth in a highly competitive class and has a weighted GPA of 100.2%. She has consistently challenged herself with the most rigorous course offerings including honors, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and dual enrollment coursework.
She also plays varsity soccer and track, serves on the Student Council, and is vice president of the National Honor Society.
WOMEN:
CAITLIN APPLEBY
Village Trustee Caitlin Appleby grew up in Ravena and lived most of her life in the village, and she has spent much of that time giving back to the community.
She works teaching character education to students at the Brighter Choice Charter School for Girls.
“I am a school culture coordinator — my degree is in social work,” Appleby said. “My primary role is to teach character education, but I also do events for my school and I also handle all of the bullying investigations.”
Appleby started a food pantry program that provides meals to 40 families in the school.
“It’s not part of my job but it’s something that I do with another colleague and I am very proud of that program,” she said. “I send home two bags a week for each student.”
In Ravena, she brings her social work skills to the fore to help the community she loves. More than a decade ago she started town hall meetings addressing issues such as underage drinking and substance abuse.
Over the years, she has worked on organizing a slew of events for the community, from pool parties at the Mosher Park Pool to local events like Soups for Seniors; Brews, Bites and Bands; and the Music and Arts Festival in the village. Two years ago, she organized a mass food drive, giving away 471 boxes of food at Mosher Park.
Through the years, she has been motivated by a desire to counteract the negativity she has seen about the community.
“Growing up in Ravena and seeing how kids my age talked about hating Ravena — I just felt differently than a lot of my peers,” Appleby said. “I felt strongly about making the youth more connected to the community so we don’t have that undertone of disdain for where they live and grow up. I want people to see Ravena as a light and a place where they can come and raise a family.”
“My drive is my love for my village,” she concluded.
LISA DEGROFF
Lisa DeGroff is fueled by serving the people of Westerlo. She is the town’s confidential administrator, a position created in 2023, and functions as an executive assistant to the town supervisor. Prior to her appointment, she volunteered on several town committees.
DeGroff is especially proud of the Hometown Heroes Committee, started in 2018. Hometown Heroes serves veterans and active military members. Albany County Veterans’ members visit with Westerlo veterans once a month.
The Veterans Miracle Center, which operates a food pantry, delivers groceries to Westerlo once a month. DeGroff called that an “eye opening experience” to see the number of participants and added, “it’s also sad.”
A current project DeGroff is spearheading calls for a memorial to and sanctuary for veterans in one of the town parks. The project includes a perennial garden to provide a “peaceful place” as well as a 10-foot POW/MIA monument with seven flags representing each branch of the military to honor Westerlo veterans. Townspeople can commemorate any veteran they want to honor with a paver.
She said the park will provide a “proper [official] place” to honor veterans.
DeGroff is especially proud of the “Lunch and Learn” program to keep seniors active. “Isolation due to geography” is a big concern. “Lunch and Learn” couples a free nutritious meal with different speakers. Gardening experts from the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Albany will talk with participants this year and she looks to expand the program from May to October. The program’s greatest benefit is “seniors get to socialize with each other.”
“I am very humbled [by the Top 5 award]. I don’t do it for recognition or accolades. I love where I live,” DeGroff said. “I find a need and a way to address that need. [I hope this award] might inspire others to become more active in their communities because it is the right thing to do.”
PAT LARSEN
Pat Larsen, a resident of Hannacroix, lives, works and plays in Greene County.
She has taught Zumba Gold Fitness for over 13 years, specializing in fitness for Baby Boomers and those seniors who preferred the support of a chair to meet their fitness needs. Stretching and toning with familiar music from the 1950s and ‘60s has been the continuous motivation that brings her students (aka her Peeps) back year after year.
Her motto is “You rest, you rust!”
In past years, as a fitness instructor, Larsen has enjoyed volunteering at several women’s rehabilitation facilities, encouraging fitness as a part of healthy living. She has also participated in and led many fundraising efforts.
As a syndicated columnist for several local publications, Larsen’s lively and insightful messages speak to her passion of encouraging others to learn to grow wiser with age.
Professionally, Larsen is a nationally certified clinical hypnotherapist who has worked with many to overcome the obstacles in life that may have kept them stuck and unable to live their lives fully. This was especially true following the recent emotional devastation of the pandemic.
Larsen has now assumed the role of creative director for her newest endeavor, Aging with Grace… growing wiser with age. She realized there were many seniors who were not necessarily interested in “exercise,” but very much wanted to learn in the community.
She invites professionals to her class several times a year to educate seniors in often previously unfamiliar areas. These programs are designed to provide useful tools to improve her students’ confidence with the aging process by encouraging education in the safety of community.
Larsen has recently completed her first book, “Reflections… Anything But an Ordinary Life.” The book spans a lifetime of becoming a Baby Boomer in this ever-changing world.
As a Top 5 winner, she looks forward to encouraging others to develop their skills and talents to bring their own programs to a welcoming community of seniors in Greene County and anywhere that it is needed.
With all this activity, Larsen said she often forgets that she, too, is also a senior.
ROSEMARY LUPPINO MCHUGH
For nearly two decades, Rosemary Luppino McHugh has been a fixture in her adopted town of Coeymans and village of Ravena. Since moving to the area in 2006, she has thrown herself headfirst into the local community, undertaking volunteer assignments and leadership roles in events/activities designed to strengthen the neighborhood fabric.
She has served as a local firefighter and member of the auxiliary. She was the event coordinator on the local Pop Warner board, and a volunteer with St. Patrick’s Church.
McHugh also volunteered with the Parent Teacher Association at Pieter B. Coeymans Elementary School and served on the RCS Board of Education from 2007-11, to name a few of the roles she has taken on in the community.
“I’ve always loved helping others,” she said. “ In truth, it’s almost like a need; I wouldn’t be able to be comfortable with who I am as a person if I didn’t dedicate some of my energy to making life better for other people. So, in that way, maybe my volunteerism is kind of selfish —because it’s rewarding for me!”
Her work at the RCS Closet Shop is one she is particularly proud of.
“We collected gently used clothes and shoes for local families. I wanted to give kids going out into the workforce an opportunity to have items they’d be able to wear to a job interview,” she said, “or maybe just a new outfit for school. The effort grew because we started to get clothes for all ages. It was where local families were able to come in and shop for free. I was so excited to see the large number of donated items and how many families came out and took advantage of the shopping spree. Seeing so many people getting something out of the event right before my own eyes was instantly gratifying.”
In 2023, McHugh took on a new role as part owner of New Scotland Spirits, which she says highlights her service philosophy.
“I joined New Scotland Spirits because it was a veteran-owned company,” she said, “and I was inspired by its commitment to preserving open spaces, family farms, and the agrarian traditions of the Capital District. It’s a reminder that you can ‘do good’ without going out to ‘do good.’ Just be a good person; be compassionate and committed in everything you do, even if the activity itself isn’t ‘volunteering.’ If everyone were their best self in all they did, this world might not require so much selflessness to fix it!”
DAWN STEWARD
Volunteerism is in Dawn Steward’s DNA. Her parents founded the Epilepsy Society of New York in 1970 and Steward was a child volunteer. Now she is the president and co-founder of Our Community Cares (OCC), an 11-year-old 501 c 3 non-profit organization serving Columbia County residents.
The Bronx transplant has called Columbia County home for 38 years. The only requirement from OCC is to be a county resident.
“There is a big need for emergency assistance,” she said. “We help the people who don’t qualify for institutional help. The people whose dollar need is too small.”
Steward shared some examples. A young woman needed tires so she could pass inspection and get to work. She also had an overdue electric bill.
“We got her the tires and paid enough on the bill to avoid shut off,” she said.
OCC also offers gas and food cards. Another case didn’t cost money but human assistance.
“It’s winter. A woman in a mobile home has 5 gallons of propane. But she’s wheelchair bound and can’t get the fuel into the tank,” Steward said. “We call around in Livingston and find someone to go over and help.”
Steward hears about people in need through an informal network of social service caseworkers. “Many of our beneficiaries are one and done,” she said.
OCC assisted 47 families last year.
The organization also has a Grocery Program, now in its third year. Berry Farm, in Ghent, donates $8,000 in produce annually. The produce is distributed weekly at senior citizen complexes and to families.
OCC’s larger programs to benefit veterans, cancer survivors and pediatric patients are funded by grants.
Steward said the Top 5 award is “very humbling” and she is “grateful for the exposure.” OCC is revamping its Ambassador Program and is looking to increase the number of people “we can call on to help with events” by handing out brochures and “talking up OCC.”
BIPOC:
THE REV. DR. ROXANNE JONES BOOTH
The Rev. Dr. Roxanne Jones Booth started her life in Coeymans, traveled to the other side of the globe for years, and ultimately returned to her hometown roots to continue a lifetime of good works.
Booth grew up in Coeymans and in fourth grade her family moved to Catskill, but continued as members of Riverview Missionary Baptist Church. She went off to college, earned a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees, and eventually went to southern Africa to do missions work with local churches.
On a trip back home for her brother’s wedding, she met the Rev. Antonio Booth — also a Top 5 winner — and one month later, he traveled to Africa to ask her to marry him. She eventually moved back to the U.S., married, and after earning a doctorate in Missions and Cross-Cultural Studies, the pair returned to Africa for three years to continue missions work.
In 2009, they returned home for good. The pastor at Riverview had resigned and the church asked them to serve as joint pastors. It was the first time Riverview was led by two pastors, and Booth was the first female pastor, as well.
Concerned that the church’s parish was diminishing, they read a book about declining churches, met with leaders at Riverview, and came up with several programs to keep the church vibrant.
Among the ideas that were implemented — and benefited the community — included hosting a Narcotics Anonymous group at Riverview, launching a summer camp program for local children, and starting a backpack and school supplies giveaway.
More community programs followed.
“We started a harvest party instead of a Halloween party, giving kids a safe place to be on Oct. 31,” Booth said. “We started doing dinners on Thanksgiving and Christmas and anyone was welcome to come. During COVID, we were asked to be a vaccination site, so we did that as well. Then the Unified Court System identified us as a community church and we became a location where individuals who couldn’t make it to the court could come here and be online with a judge.”
Booth has spent a lifetime doing good works, on both ends of the globe. Why does she do it?
“For the love of Jesus Christ,” Booth said. “God loves God’s people and we do, too. We saw that we had the capacity to do a number of things in our community that would be a blessing to the community. We had the capacity and the heart to do it.”
THE REV. ANTONIO BOOTH
The Rev. Antonio Booth may hail from Durham, North Carolina, but he has fully immersed himself in the life of Coeymans.
Booth moved up to the Northeast for a job in Bennington, Vermont, and wound up with a ministry in New Hampshire working with people in recovery from drugs and other issues. After attending seminary in Massachusetts, he eventually ended up in East Greenbush, working with people with brain injuries.
After meeting his wife at a wedding — fellow Top 5 winner the Rev. Dr. Roxanne Jones Booth at the time was based in southern Africa, where she was doing missions work — the couple eventually married and returned to Africa.
They came back to the United States and held jobs in several states before moving to Ravena. The couple became the first joint pastors at Riverview Missionary Baptist Church and while serving in that role, launched numerous programs benefitting the community, including a Narcotics Anonymous meeting at the church, a backpack and school supplies giveaway, a harvest party in October and a block party in the summer, among other programs the Booths hosted through the church.
The Rev. Antonio Booth also served in another capacity benefitting the community — he was a trustee, and shortly after the president, of the RCS Community Library’s Board of Directors. It was a challenging time to head up the library.
“The library was at a tumultuous point. It was losing board members quite rapidly, and it had an antagonistic relationship with the village — the library was in the village building at the time,” Booth said. “I started in July as a trustee and by September, I was the president of the library board because there was so much turnover.”
During Booth’s tenure, the library had to find a new location, and later made other changes, including making staff salaries more competitive and finding not one but two new library directors.
Booth was also president of the Upper Hudson Library System and was eventually made trustee emeritus of the organization.
Now, Booth’s work on behalf of the library continues — he is now president of the newly formed Friends of the RCS Community Library.
SHANATIA BYGRAVE
Shanatia Bygrave has blended her professional life with a life of volunteerism.
She lived most of her life in Philadelphia and worked her way up from teller to heading up the Hudson branch of Greylock Federal Credit Union.
“My career in banking started when I was 20 years old,” she said. “I started as a teller for Wachovia Bank. I learned and grew, and then I left to go to Bank of America, which really opened me up to volunteerism and giving back to the community.”
She relocated to Hudson 10 years ago and has been with the local branch of Greylock for four years. During her years in banking, she made volunteerism a central focus of her career. She got her start in community service with Habitat for Humanity and then began organizing volunteer programs when she joined Berkshire Bank in Hudson.
“They have a huge volunteer committee,” Bygrave said. “My responsibility was finding activities for our New York branches to take part in — to volunteer and give back to the community. We worked with the Humane Society in Hudson, with Perfect 10 — a girls’ club in Hudson — and I was able to do work with the Hudson Youth Center.”
She continues her work with Habitat for Humanity and combined with her work as a Hudson Rotarian, she worked on building two homes with the organization in Philmont.
Her driving force is working with young people.
“My passion is our youth, because they are our future,” Bygrave said. “If I can help them and guide them in any way, especially when it comes to finances and banking, if I can do that, I will be in my happy space.”
Her volunteerism expanded and also includes serving as a board member for the CREATE Council for the Arts, which applies for grants and funding to create spaces for local artists, and she is on the boards of Perfect 10, the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce and the Friends of Hudson Youth.
Bygrave’s vision for the future is to create her own foundation to help displaced young mothers get back on their feet. Growing up in Jamaica, Bygrave eventually moved to the U.S. and lost touch with a longtime friend, but when they reconnected in the U.S., she found her friend was a young single mother living in a shelter. Bygrave, though she was just 20 years old herself, offered to help.
“Her son is now in college studying to be a heart surgeon,” she said.
One day, Bygrave wants to start a home for young women in similar situations.
RUBEN LINDO
When Ruben Lindo’s family moved from the Bronx to the Hudson Valley, they were the first Black family in his Saugerties neighborhood. He graduated from the University of Buffalo and entered the NFL with the Denver Broncos, in 1997, as a defensive back.
On Montel Williams’ podcast, “Let’s Be Blunt,” in 2023, Lindo said he was a “serial tryout player.” He graduated from Millard Fillmore Medical College in 1995, and earned an MBA from NYU in 2007. After trading in his stethoscope for cleats, Lindo joined four teams and had a stint with the CFL and Arena football over eight years.
Despite injuries to his knees and shoulders, Lindo said he never took opioids. He was afraid because his father was a heroin addict.
He was forced to become an entrepreneur. After an 18-month stint in jail he could not get a job. In 2016, Lindo smoked his first joint. He and relatives “smoked reefer” to calm their nerves and ease pain.
In 2019, he founded Blak Mar Farms, a craft cannabis company that cultivates, manufactures, packages and sells products with 26% to 32% THC content. Blak Mar’s shift from recreational to medical marijuana was because he was “done chasing capital” and wanted “to help people.” He calls cannabis an excellent “geriatric drug.” LindoF admits, “Stigma still exists around the plant.”
But Lindo is bullish on hemp. The siding on his Main Street store in Saugerties is made from hemp and he boasts does not require heating during the winter.
Future expansion plans include 20 outlets in Detroit, Michigan, as well as dispensaries in 15 states.
Lindo said the Top 5 Award “personally solidifies the work I do in business and in the community. [For Blak Nar Farms] it’s another feather in the cap. It’s very special because it’s local.”
DEWAYNE A. POWELL
For DeWayne A. Powell, real estate is the perfect combination of esthetics and emotion.
“When I can make the right match between buyers and sellers… I feel an enormous sense of pride and accomplishment,” he said.
Powell has been selling real estate since 2014 and joined Sotheby in 2021. His territory includes Columbia, Ulster and upper Dutchess counties and the Berkshires. He describes the Columbia County market as “inventory extremely low; lots of buyers chasing the same listings; increasingly desirable for second home buyers.” Most of his clients are from New York City, Boston and California.
Powell identified Hudson as “the No. 1 market, very expensive, not much available.” If looking for a farmhouse with land, then Hillsdale and Ghent are the top choices. Or if wanting to be in a village, Kinderhook and Chatham are the second and third hottest markets.
Before his real estate career, Powell was a lawyer. When asked about the impact of the recent National Association of Realtors (NAR) settlement of lawsuits regarding brokers’ commissions, he expected much “confusion in the short term” but that “not much would change in the long term.”
He explained that the Department of Justice (DOJ) wants an uncoupling of commission rates paid to agents for buyers and sellers. Currently sellers pay both the buyers’ and their agent’s commission of 3% each.
“Certain classes of buyers – those with a smaller budget, without generational wealth and minorities, will be squeezed out of the market” if required to pay their agent’s fee, thus leaving sellers with a smaller pool of buyers. “It’s a problem not going away soon.”
When asked what winning the Top 5 Award means, Powell said the news of it “came out of the blue. As one of the few minority professionals in real estate, I am grateful for the recognition.”
BUSINESS/NON-PROFIT:
CARVER COMPANIES
The Port of Coeymans was established in 2003 through the acquisition of the Powell and Minnock Brick Company property, which was the last operating brick yard in New York state. In the next five years, significant upgrades were implemented on the property, including the installation of docks.
The port welcomed its inaugural vessel in 2008. In 2012, Carver Companies expanded their footprint by acquiring the Frangella Mushroom Farm land across the street, envisioning an Industrial Park adjacent to the port.
Over the past two decades, the Port of Coeymans has solidified its reputation as a deep-water terminal capable of accommodating foreign vessels and as a premier staging area for various construction projects, including bridge panels for the Tappan Zee Bridge, Willis Avenue Bridge, and Portal Bridge. It has also played a pivotal role in projects such as the PSE&G Heat Recovery Steam Generators, Astoria Cooling Towers, and the Little Island Park. Presently, the Port of Coeymans spans 450 acres and houses the Carver Marine Steel Works shipyard division. Additionally, it serves as a stone export hub for quarry materials, transported via tugboat and barges down the Hudson River.
Carver Companies owner Carver Laraway said his original vision for the Port was initially to have 30 companies with 30 employees working for each company; he said it is exciting to see they have far exceeded that initial vision with so many people holding down good paying jobs and moving into the community.
“Being recognized as a Changemaker is both humbling and motivating. It reaffirms the importance of our work and will inspire us to continue exploring new relationships with the people and businesses in our communities,” Laraway said.
Laraway said everyone who wants to make significant change in their communy should be passionate about their vision.
“Every action, no matter how small, has the potential to create meaningful change,” he said. “We hope to always be an intricate part of the community. We enjoy being involved with local events and aiding in activities with schools, churches and seniors.”
When asked about a pivotal moment in his journey on the road to becoming a changemaker, Laraway recalled the day he purchased his first dump truck and it broke down the same day.
“I had no money to fix it but an old boss of mine had faith in me and loaned me the money to get it repaired. I never forgot what he did for me. I never gave up and while things like this are character building, I hope it taught me to always look around and help the next one in line,” he said.
HELPING HARVEST
Now in its 14th year, Helping Harvest is a food assistance program under the umbrella of Hopefull Life Center, Inc. in Faith Plaza in Ravena.
“It grew out of Abounding Love Christian Fellowship,” Executive Director Rebecca Flach said. “It started out as a very small food program, although the model was always the same — it’s not a food pantry, it’s a food assistance program. It just grew and grew and over time it expanded in terms of product selection and what we can offer families in the community.”
Helping Harvest offers foods from fresh produce, fish and meat to canned goods and household cleaners, at reduced rates compared to a regular supermarket.
“Our role is to bridge the gap between local food pantries and traditional groceries in an effort to help families stretch their food budgets. They pay a reduced rate for the food — it can be as little as 10% off or as much as 50%,” Flach said.
The program is funded through purchases from members, as well as grants and other fundraising efforts.
The concept behind Helping Harvest, founded by Pastor Chuck Engelhardt 14 years ago, is helping those in need.
“It grew out of a church, so its foundation is serving the Lord,” Flach said. “We are called to take care of one another and at that time, and still to this day, the church continues to care for the needy in this community. That was the inspiration behind Helping Harvest.”
Prospective members fill out an application and must affirm they are in need of food assistance. Factors beyond income are taken into account.
“We know that income doesn’t tell the whole story about a family that may be struggling,” Flach said, adding that some may have recently lost a job or had a catastrophic medical diagnosis and can no longer work, event though they may have not needed assistance in the past.
“We’re proud to serve the community and our intention is to be here for a long time to come,” Flach said.
HIGH & MIGHTY THERAPEUTIC RIDING & DRIVING CENTER
The High & Mighty Therapeutic Riding and Driving Center, in Ghent, has a herd of 17 equines. Its mission is to engage the power of the horse-human connection to provide physical, emotional and spiritual well-being to those of all abilities.
According to Executive Director Rachel Conaway, the herd is diverse and consists of minis, Fjords, Thoroughbreds, Spotted Draft, Quarter, Paints, Ponies and a Canadian Warmblood. Their ages range from late teens to early 20s.
High & Mighty is a non-profit organization that serves 100 participants weekly. Spring and fall are the busiest seasons. Participants have cognitive, emotional and physical disabilities, and some are on the autism spectrum.
There are several programs that participants can choose from: riding, driving, unmounted and the barn. They have a lift to assist those with limited mobility to access the saddle and one carriage accommodates a wheelchair. There are, also, special programs for veterans and seniors. Twenty-five volunteers assist in the programs.
“Volunteers are integral to our programs. We are always looking for more,” Conaway said.
She added that High & Mighty is holding a series of “Meet and Greet” sessions to recruit new volunteers. Conaway started as an instructor-in-training in 2014, and is now the organization’s executive director, beginning in 2024.
Considering its clientele’s safety is a top priority. High & Mighty is a designated PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) Premier Accredited Center. According to Conaway, “It is a rigorous process. All of our instructors and facilities are governed by PATH standards. Our volunteers are well-trained.”
Each rider is attended by three people: one on each side of the rider and another person leading the horse.
The facility is located on 60 acres, has both indoor and outdoor arenas and a round pen. There are miles of trails. The horses and people are happy.
The Top 5 Changemaker award will help increase the organization’s visibility, she said.
“It’s great for us. It is an opportunity for more publicity,” Conaway said. “Horses can and do change people’s lives. We see it on a regular basis.”
INNOVATION STATION
The Ravena Innovation Station got its start just one year ago but already has as many children signed up as it can handle.
The program, housed in the basement at Congregational Christian Church, teaches robotics, computer coding and other STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects. It was inspired by a similar effort out in Corning, New York. The original founders, Rick and Kate Robertson, worked with a dedicated board of directors to make the vision come to fruition.
The Robertsons have been coaching FIRST Lego League teams for years.
“We’ve seen the value of STEM education and these competitive robotics competitions with our kids and their friends, and we really wanted to build something that exposed more kids in our region to these opportunities,” Rick Robertson said.
The Innovation Station was launched in spring 2023, and enables kids to participate in STEM competitions.
“The fall was typically around the FIRST season, with about 70 kids involved, from pre-K all the way through high school,” Rick Robertson said. “The spring activities are four different classes that revolve around computer programming.”
This season the kids are learning about coding, CAD — computer-aided design, game design based on the Python programming language, and a hydrogen-car program in conjunction with Plug. Every Saturday has a different STEM theme.
Kate Robertson said she wanted other children to have the opportunities her kids did in competing with FIRST Lego League.
“The biggest thing has been watching how these programs have affected our kids and have been beneficial to them, and I wanted to give that to other kids as well,” she said.
MUELLER’S AUTOMOTIVE
For nearly 30 years, Mueller’s Automotive located at 88 Main St. in Ravena, a family owned and operated business, has been helping their neighbors and community members.
According to neighbor and fellow local business owner Sharon Aragona, “Ken and Billie Jo are always involved in fundraising, community events and school events. Ken is honest and supportive of his community; he will always help others. He is not judgmental and will help anyone. He is a true gentleman.”
The Muellers are also true patrons of the arts, having donated hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to school plays, music festivals and other arts endeavors over the years.
“I have known Ken personally for 25 years,” Aragona concluded. “As a neighbor, he will always help you, no matter what. He is devoted to his family and community.”
